How to Start a Google Hangout

Google Hangouts is Google’s video conferencing tool that allows up to 10 people to participate by video. Google Hangouts on Air are the live broadcast version that automatically records and archives a copy of the video chat to your YouTube Account.

Start a private Google Hangout.

You can start a Google Hangout privately from your Gmail account. Click on a person’s name on the left side in your chat list, and you’ll see the option for video. Click the video icon to open the Google Hangout window. Launch the Google Hangout window, name your Hangout, and click Start.

Launch your Hangout.

Add apps and effects to your Hangout.

While you’re in a Hangout, you have a number of options to enhance your video conference including inviting other people, engaging in text chat, sharing your screen, capturing a screenshot of the Hangout, adding effects such as graphics, and viewing a YouTube video together.

Start a public Google Hangout.

You can start a Google Hangout publicly from your G+ account. Click the Start a Hangout button toward the upper-right side of your G+ home page. Launch the Google Hangout window, name it, and specify who you’d like to invite to join. You can specify individuals, any of your Circles, or the public.

Choose a public Hangout on Air.

Before you invite someone to your Google Hangout, you can opt to make it a Google Hangout on Air which is both public and also recorded. You can control who participates via video. Other people can participate by watching the video being broadcast and through text chat.